Posted by admin | Posted in Uncategorized | Posted on 03-08-2010
Tags: halloween, jack-o-lantern, knitting, lantern, pumpkin
Pumpkin Carving in All the Right Ways
I love October. Football is in full swing, the sweltering summer heat is fading away, and the Halloween party invites are flowing in. I love myself some Halloween. There’s just no other holiday (if you can call it that) quite like it. The candy, costumes, candy, ghouls, ghosts, and did I say candy!?! So…I have a bit of a sweet tooth. I admit it. No shame in that.
This year I’m having a little shindig at my apartment and as you may guess I’m already heavily into the planning. I’m going pumpkin crazy for this party and am going to put out tons of spooky faces to really set the mood. I carved a few nasty looking ones last night as prototypes.
In years past I have always struggled with my pumpkin carving skills. So I did a little research beforehand to come up with some better ways of gutting, carving, and molding these bad boys to create a little creepiness around my apartment.
Some of the ideas that I came across actually worked out really well for me. I want to make sure to share them with you so that you maximize your pumpkin carving experience this Halloween season. Check them out:
1) Using an Ice Cream scoop to get all of the pumpkin’s insides out worked so much better than using only a knife like I did last year. I’ve found that Knives just don’t scoop well.
2) This is probably obvious to you, but use a sharpie to draw out your face before you just jump in and start cutting. You might even consider sketching a few ideas on paper first to get the perfect idea.
3) Real candles are great, but there is a ton of stuff that can be done with lighting to create some really, really cool effects. Just experiment with everything that lights up from glow sticks to Christmas lights. Foil or small mirrors can be placed inside the pumpkin to make some pretty neat reflections. Also, if you want to experiment with color, get some colored saran wrap and place that in front of the light or over the holes in the pumpkins skin from the inside. Just be careful of the open flame if you are using a real candle.
4) Attachments are great additions to any pumpkin. Want that prickly head look? Place dozens of toothpicks sticking out of the pumpkin. It looks sick! Throwing hair, eye patches, jewelry, scars, and growths all on your pumpkin can add a lot of character too. I gave one of my pumpkins a grill.
5) Find away to hide a small tape recorder playing creepy sounds, voices, or even monk chants inside the pumpkin itself. Those little voice note recorders work great!
Hopefully these ideas get you started on making some awesome pumpkins this year. Now that pumpkins are almost out of the way, I need to figure out what the heck I am going to go as. I was thinking about dressing up as a hotdog and going as a Hallo-weenie.
Visit ApartmentHomeLiving.com for more information on apartments and living for fun!
About the Author
As a Managing Partner of Apartment Home Living, Jeff wants to help you find the right apartment by getting to know you. At AHL Apartmentites have a platform to share their own stories, get great info & tips on apartment living, read Jeff’s entertaining blogs/stories, and have a ton of fun sharing their love of apartment living with others. Don’t forget to go and set up your own MyPlace page to really get the full Apartmentite experience!
Betty’s Family Jack O’Lantern–Carved by Rick & Carter–NO RECIPE–
|
|
Hand Carved Olive Wood Lantern Magnet $6.99 Our olive wood products are hand cut and hand sanded from the trimmings of Jordanian olive trees after the harvest. Wood grains and hues will vary because of the nature of our product. Our commitment to excellent quality ensures each piece is skillfully hand-assembled and inspected by Jordanian women…. |
|
|
Italian Dining Room Photo Mugs Dining Room at Villa Medici at Fiesole redecorated in the 18th century carved gilt mirrors, lanterns on pedestals, crystal chandelier, a ornately carved furniture….. |
|
|
Pumpkin Jack o’ Lantern Orange Balloons Set of 12 $5.29 Create a Fun and Friendly Halloween look with these Jack o’ Lantern Balloons- the perfect decoration for your Halloween party or for the classroom. Orange balloons with black ink. The design is on both sides of the balloons! These balloons are made in the USA by Qualatex. 12 balloons per package |
|
|
Halloween – Trick or Treat – Carved Pumpkin Glowing Scary Card 5 x 7 inch premium quality folded paper greeting card. Greeting Card Universe offers the largest selection of Halloween cards on the web. Send a paper card to your friends and family this year. Allow Greeting Card Universe to handle all your Halloween card needs this year. This paper card includes the following themes: Halloween, trick or treat, and pumpkin. Greeting Card Universe offers custom Tr… |
|
|
Halloween Carved Pumpkin Glowing Card 5 x 7 inch premium quality folded paper greeting card. Find Halloween cards for everyone on your list at Greeting Card Universe. Send a paper card to your friends and family this year. Look no further than Greeting Card Universe for your Halloween card needs. This paper card includes the following themes: Halloween, pumpkin, and jack o’ lantern. Greeting Card Universe has the biggest selection of … |
|
|
EZ-On Romper Lil Pumpkin – Newborn Size 0-9 months $19.00 EZ-On Romper Lil Pumpkin – Newborn Size 0-9 months… |
|
|
EZ-On Romper Lil Pumpkin – Infant 6-12 months, (Size 1-2 USA) $14.86 EZ-On Romper Lil Pumpkin – Infant 6-12 months, (Size 1-2 USA)… |
|
|
Jack O’ Lantern Pumpkin Ghost Jello Mold Candy Dish Party Supply $2.95 candy dish… |
|
|
Photo Jigsaw Puzzle of Italian Dining Room from Mary Evans $29.99 Photo Puzzle, ITALIAN DINING ROOM. Dining Room at Villa Medici at Fiesole redecorated in the 18th century carved gilt mirrors, lanterns on pedestals, crystal chandelier, a ornately carved furniture. Chosen by Mary Evans. 10×14 Photo Puzzle with 252 pieces. Packed in black cardboard box of dimensions 5 5/8 x 7 5/8 x 1 1/5. Puzzle image 5×7 affixed to box top. Puzzle pieces printed on RA4 paper at 3… |
|
|
Extreme Pumpkin Carving: 20 Amazing Designs from Frightful to Fabulous $8.18 Providing a new twist on a holiday tradition, this book illustrates how to carve three-dimensional faces and scenes in pumpkins using tools ranging from kitchen knives to carving gouges and chisels. Complete information is provided for getting started, including an overview of tools and tips for finding the best pumpkin to work with. Step-by-step instructions are detailed for using handy household… |
|
|
World Imports Dark Sky Revere Collection 2-Light Outdoor Wall Lantern $176.21 Add class to the appearance of your home with this stunning Flemish outdoor wall lantern. It’s water seedy glass provides a unique effect when lit. |
|
|
Coleman Quickpack Lantern Combo $56.74 This ready to use, innovative lantern from Coleman comes packaged in its own carrying case. Simply add propane and light, this lantern’s included unique protective cover doubles as its packaging to reduce environmental impact. |
|
|
Wood and Rice Paper 18-inch Samurai Shoji Lamp (China) $58.86 The sturdy Scandinavian Spruce frame is a wonderful backdrop to this lantern’s dramatic depiction of the Samurai that is bound to spark interest. |
|
|
Custom Gunstock Carving $27.63 Back by popular demand ten years after the publication of the original hardcover, this paperback edition of “Custom Gunstock Carving” gives in-depth instruction on the cutting and carving techniques that make up the gunstock carver`s art–from preparin… |
|
|
My Super Concepts Book (Board) $12.46 Parents can introduce children to basic concepts in a whole new way. Superman`s cape is RED, Batman`s boots are BLUE, and Green Lantern`s lantern is…GREEN! From colors and shapes to actions and opposites, little ones can learn basic lessons through t… |
|
|
The Green Lantern Chronicles Vol. 4 (Paperback) $13.75 The 1960s adventures of Green Lantern continue in this new volume reprinting his stories in their original order of publication.Included are the story of Green Lantern`s oath, a battle with Sinestro, a guest-appearance by The Flash and the debut of … |
|
|
Short Cuts (Paperback) $13.01 A movie tie-in edition of Carver`s critically acclaimed short stories interweaves nine tales to create an incisive portrait of American life, institutions, and psyche, accompanied by an introduction by film director Robert Altman. Original. Movie tie-i… |
|
|
George Washington Carver (Reinforced Hardcover) $19.05 Illustrated with historical artifacts and photographs, a fresh look at a pioneering American innovator traces Carver`s life, discoveries, and legacy as the first African-American to attend Iowa State College and as an inspirational conservationist. |
|
|
Where I’m Calling from $15.13 Published shortly before his death, this was Carver’s fourth collection of short fiction. It was nominated for both a Pulitzer Prize and a National Book Critics Circle Award. |
|
|
What We Talk About When We Talk About Love (Paperback) $15.18 Carver`s second collection of short fiction. |